Company administrators can change the task capability that is applied to all agents by default and the queue item capability that is applied to the queued items for different channels. These values allow multiple tasks to be allocated to an agent, whilst providing a method to limit what is assigned per channel.
Note: A capability is a valuation rating that is applied. It is not an actual amount (number) of items. The higher the capability of a channel item, the more “valuable” it is deemed to be. So, for example, you might want to rate calls as the most valuable (highest capability value), followed by webchats (a lower capability value than calls), and then emails and work items (lower capability values than webchats). |
Company administrators must have the System Configuration: Modify privilege to change channel capabilities.
Change channel capabilities: #
- Click System > Channel Configuration on the menu bar
- Click the Capabilities tab
- To change the Default Agent Capability that determines how many queue item tasks (calls, emails, webchats, etc.) each agent can handle simultaneously, select a number using the up and down arrows
- These agents may be interrupted by a call if they do not have too many other channel items going on at the same time.
- Note: This setting applies to all agents by default. It can be overridden on an individual basis by setting a capability rating for a specific user account on the Users page (Capabilities tab).
- You then need to configure individual channel capabilities:
Calls Channel #
- To change the Queue Item Capability, which rates how “valuable” queued calls are deemed to be, select a value using the up and down arrows
- To change the Default Queue Weighting for a call queue, select a number using the up and down arrows
- To specify that calls are automatically allocated to agents, tick the Automatically allocate items for this channel checkbox
- To disable automatic allocation (so that calls must be manually taken from the call queues by agents), untick the Automatically allocate items for this channel checkbox
- Note: By default, calls are automatically allocated to the next available agent
- Note: For calls, the Maximum number of items allocated to an agent parameter is not configurable. This is because the number is fixed at 1
- Continue with other channel configuration and follow the steps to either save changes or restore to default values
Webchat Channel #
- To specify the Maximum number of items allocated to an agent, select a number using the up and down arrows
- Note: This is the default setting for the system. If a different default value is set for an individual queue, that will be used instead. For webchats, this value is used only if the Maximum Number Of Webchats Per Agent parameter for the webchat queue is set to 0 (Webchat > Webchat Queues > Advanced).
- To change the Queue Item Capability, which rates how “valuable” queued webchats are deemed to be, select a value using the up and down arrows
- To change the Default Queue Weighting for a webchat queue, select a number using the up and down arrows
- To specify that items from other channels are not allocated to agents if they already have webchats in their inbox, tick the Don’t allocate items from other channels when the agent has items checkbox
- Note: By default, other channel items are allocated when agents already have webchats (checkbox is unticked)
- If Don’t allocate items from other channels when the agent has items is set (checkbox is ticked):
- When the agent is handling a webchat, no other channel items can interrupt the active webchat
- When the agent completes the active webchat and there are other items in the queue, if an item’s channel has higher priority than the webchat channel, it will be assigned to the agent first. For example, a call can take priority over a webchat if the call has higher priority
- If the agent is working on a webchat and has additional webchats in their inbox, new incoming calls will not interrupt the current webchat. Once the current webchat is finished, the agent will proceed with the next webchat in their inbox, while calls remain in the queue
- If the agent interrupts the current webchat (for example, to make an outbound call), the agent is returned to the same webchat without any disruption. That is, even if multiple inbound calls or other high-priority items are queued, the agent is automatically reassigned to their ongoing webchat upon completing the outbound call
- If Don’t allocate items from other channels when the agent has items is not set (checkbox is unticked):
- If the agent is handling a webchat and a new, higher-priority item arrives, the new item can interrupt the current webchat and will be presented to the agent
- To specify that webchats are automatically allocated to agents, tick the Automatically allocate items for this channel checkbox
- To disable automatic allocation (so that webchats must be manually taken from the webchat queues by agents), untick the Automatically allocate items for this channel checkbox
- Note: By default, webchats are automatically allocated to the next available agent
- If automatic allocation is enabled for webchats, an alerting icon (a ringing bell) is displayed when a webchat arrives in an agent’s inbox
- Continue with other channel configuration and follow the steps to either save changes or restore to default values
Email Channel #
- To specify the Maximum number of items allocated to an agent, select a number using the up and down arrows
- Note: This is the default setting for the system. If a different default value is set for an individual queue, that will be used instead
- To change the Queue Item Capability, which rates how “valuable” queued emails are deemed to be, select a value using the up and down arrows
- To change the Default Queue Weighting for an email queue, select a number using the up and down arrows
- To specify that emails are automatically allocated to agents, tick the Automatically allocate items for this channel checkbox
- To disable automatic allocation (so that emails must be manually taken from the email queues by agents), untick the Automatically allocate items for this channel checkbox
- Note: By default, emails are not automatically allocated to the next available agent (checkbox is unticked). Emails must be manually taken from the email queues by agents
- If automatic allocation is enabled for emails, when an email is automatically allocated to an agent:
- If the agent is available and has an empty inbox, the new email becomes their active item
- If the agent is available but is currently handling an item, the email is added to their inbox but does not become their active item. Once the agent marks the currently active item as complete, the next item in their inbox becomes their active item
- Continue with other channel configuration and follow the steps to either save changes or restore to default values
SMS Channel #
- To specify the Maximum number of items allocated to an agent, select a number using the up and down arrows
- Note: This is the default setting for the system. If a different default value is set for an individual queue, that will be used instead
- To change the Queue Item Capability, which rates how “valuable” queued SMS messages are deemed to be, select a value using the up and down arrows
- To change the Default Queue Weighting for an SMS queue, select a number using the up and down arrows
- To specify that SMS messages are automatically allocated to agents, tick the Automatically allocate items for this channel checkbox
- To disable automatic allocation (so that SMS messages must be manually taken from the SMS queues by agents), untick the Automatically allocate items for this channel checkbox
- Note: By default, SMS messages are not automatically allocated to the next available agent (checkbox is unticked). SMS messages must be manually taken from the SMS queues by agents
- If automatic allocation is disabled for webchats (checkbox is unticked), webchats must be manually taken from the webchat queues by agents.
- If automatic allocation is enabled for SMS messages, an alerting icon (a ringing bell) is displayed when an SMS message arrives in an agent’s inbox
- Continue with other channel configuration and follow the steps to either save changes or restore to default values
- To save a change to the blending formula, click Save Changes
- To restore the settings to their default values, click Restore Default Values
Definitions #
- Default Agent Capability: A value that determines how many queue item tasks (calls, emails, webchats, etc.) each agent can handle simultaneously. These agents may be interrupted by a call if they do not have too many other channel items going on at the same time.
- Note: This setting applies to all agents by default. It can be overridden on an individual basis by setting a capability rating for a specific user account on the Users page (Capabilities tab).
Calls definitions #
- Queue Item Capability: A value that rates how “valuable” queued calls are deemed to be.
- Default Queue Weighting: The default importance weighting of the call queue.
- Automatically allocate items for this channel: Whether or not calls are automatically allocated to agents.
- If automatic allocation is disabled for calls (checkbox is unticked), calls must be manually taken from the call queues by agents.
- Note: By default, calls and webchat are automatically allocated to the next available agent. Emails are not.
Webchat definitions #
- Maximum number of items allocated to an agent: A value that determines how many webchats can be allocated to each agent simultaneously.
- Queue Item Capability: A value that rates how “valuable” queued webchats are deemed to be.
- Default Queue Weighting: The default importance weighting of the webchat queue.
- Don’t allocate items from other channels when the agent has items: Whether or not items from other channels are allocated to agents if they already have webchats in their inbox.
- Note: By default, other channel items are allocated when agents already have webchats (checkbox is unticked).
- Please refer to the webchat channel instructions to view the differences when this is either set (checkbox is ticked) or not set (checkbox is not ticked)
- Automatically allocate items for this channel: Whether or not webchats are automatically allocated to agents.
- Note: By default, webchats are automatically allocated to the next available agent.
- If automatic allocation is disabled for webchats (checkbox is unticked), webchats must be manually taken from the webchat queues by agents.
- If automatic allocation is enabled for webchats, an alerting icon (a ringing bell) is displayed when a webchat arrives in an agent’s inbox.
Email definitions #
- Maximum number of items allocated to an agent: A value that determines how many emails can be allocated to each agent simultaneously.
- Note: This is the default setting for the system. If a different default value is set for an individual queue, that will be used instead.
- Queue Item Capability: A value that rates how “valuable” queued emails are deemed to be.
- Default Queue Weighting: The default importance weighting of the email queue.
- Automatically allocate items for this channel: Whether or not emails are automatically allocated to agents.
- Note: By default, emails are not automatically allocated to the next available agent (checkbox is unticked). Emails must be manually taken from the email queues by agents.
- Please refer to email channel instructions for information on what happens when automatic allocation is enabled for emails.
SMS definitions #
- Maximum number of items allocated to an agent: A value that determines how many webchats can be allocated to each agent simultaneously.
- Note: This is the default setting for the system. If a different default value is set for an individual queue, that will be used instead.
- This value is used only if the Maximum Number Of Webchats Per Agent parameter for the webchat queue is set to 0 (Webchat > Webchat Queues > Advanced).
- Queue Item Capability: A value that rates how “valuable” queued webchats are deemed to be.
- Default Queue Weighting: The default importance weighting of the webchat queue.
- Automatically allocate items for this channel: Whether or not webchats are automatically allocated to agents.
- Note: By default, webchats are automatically allocated to the next available agent.
- Please refer to SMS channel instructions for information on automatic allocation options.
Related concepts
Channel blending
Related tasks
Viewing agent capability